Successful Identification of and Discrimination Between Atrial and Ventricular Arrhythmia with the Aid of Pacing and Defibrillator Devices.

The presence of supraventricular tachycardia is the leading cause of inappropriate shock in ICD recipients, and it can be a significant cause of morbidity, psychological distress and worsened clinical outcome. Modern pacing and ICD systems offer a number of discriminators that are integrated into algorithms to differentiate sustained ventricular tachycardia from supraventricular tachycardia. These algorithms can be adapted and optimised for each individual patient to ensure that only those arrhythmias that need treatment through the use of an ICD, are actually treated.

Reversing Lindblad Dynamics via Continuous Petz Recovery Map.

An important issue in developing quantum technology is that quantum states are so sensitive to noise. We propose a protocol that introduces reverse dynamics, in order to precisely control quantum systems against noise described by the Lindblad master equation. The reverse dynamics can be obtained by constructing the Petz recovery map in continuous time.

Effect of Binding-Affinity and ATPase Activity on the Velocities of Kinesins Using Ratchet Models.

We use two-state ratchet models containing single and coupled Brownian motors to understand the role of motor-microtubule binding, ATPase reaction rate and dimerisation on the translational velocities of Kinesin motors. We use model parameters derived from the experimental measurements on KIF1A, KIF13A, KIF13B, and KIF16B motors to compute velocities in μm/s. We observe that both the models show the same trend in velocities (KIF1A > KIF13A > KIF13B > KIF16B) as the experimental results.

A microRNA checkpoint for Ca signaling and overload in acute pancreatitis.

Acute pancreatitis (AP) is a common digestive disease without specific treatment, and its pathogenesis features multiple deleterious amplification loops dependent on translation, triggered by cytosolic Ca ([Ca]) overload; however, the underlying mechanisms in Ca overload of AP remains incompletely understood. Here we show that microRNA-26a (miR-26a) inhibits pancreatic acinar cell (PAC) store-operated Ca entry (SOCE) channel expression, Ca overload, and AP. We find that major SOCE channels are post-transcriptionally induced in PACs during AP, whereas miR-26a expression is reduced in experimental and human AP and correlated with AP severity.

Ward-Based Noninvasive Ventilation for Acute Hypercapnic Respiratory Failure Unrelated to Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Background: The use of ward-based noninvasive ventilation (NIV) for acute hypercapnic respiratory failure (AHRF) unrelated to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) remains controversial. This study evaluated the outcomes and failure rates associated with NIV application in the ward-based setting for patients with AHRF unrelated to COPD.

Methods: A multicentre, retrospective cohort study of patients with AHRF unrelated to COPD was conducted.

Drp1/Fis1-Dependent Pathologic Fission and Associated Damaged Extracellular Mitochondria Contribute to Macrophage Dysfunction in Endotoxin Tolerance.

Objectives: Recent publications have shown that mitochondrial dynamics can govern the quality and quantity of extracellular mitochondria subsequently impacting immune phenotypes. This study aims to determine if pathologic mitochondrial fission mediated by Drp1/Fis1 interaction impacts extracellular mitochondrial content and macrophage function in sepsis-induced immunoparalysis.

Design: Laboratory investigation.

Improved Mesenchymal Stem Cell Proliferation, Differentiation, Epithelial Transition, and Restrained Senescence on Hierarchically Patterned Porous Honey Silk Fibroin Scaffolds.

We report a significant improvement of adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells' (ADMSCs) biocompatibility and proliferation on hierarchically patterned porous honey-incorporated silk fibroin scaffolds fabricated using a combination of soft lithography and freeze-drying techniques. Parametric variations show enhanced surface roughness, swelling, and degradation rate with good pore interconnectivity, porosity, and mechanical strength for soft-lithographically fabricated biomimetic microdome arrays on the 2% honey silk fibroin scaffold (PHSF2) as compared to its other variants, which eventually made PHSF2 more comparable to the native environment required for stem cell adhesion and proliferation. PHSF2 also exhibits sustained honey release with remarkable antibacterial efficacy against methicillin-resistant (MRSA).

The Perioperative Patient Experience During COVID-19.

Background: Access to elective surgical procedures has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: We sought to understand the patient experience by developing and distributing an anonymous online survey to those who underwent non-emergency surgery at a large academic tertiary medical center between March and October 2020.

Results: The survey was completed by 184 patients; the majority were white (84%), female (74.

An Overview on the Therapeutic Function of Foods Enriched with Plant Sterols in Diabetes Management.

Diabetes is one of the most significant health issues across the world. People identified with diabetes are more vulnerable to various infections and are at a greater risk of developing cardiovascular diseases. The plant-based food we consume often contains many sterol-based bioactive compounds.

Ecotoxicological QSTR and QSTTR Modeling for the Prediction of Acute Oral Toxicity of Pesticides against Multiple Avian Species.

The ever-increasing use of pesticides in response to the rising agricultural demand has threatened the existence of nontarget organisms like avian species, disrupting the global ecological integrity. Therefore, it is critical to protect and restore different endangered bird species from the perspective of ecosystem safety. In the present work, we have developed regression-based two-dimensional quantitative structure toxicity relationship (2D QSTR) and quantitative structure toxicity-toxicity relationship (QSTTR) models to estimate the toxicity of pesticides on five different avian species following the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) guidelines.

Foetal alcohol spectrum disorder and Investigative interviewing: A systematic review highlighting clinical and legal implications and recommendations.

Individuals with foetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) are estimated to be 19 times more likely to encounter the criminal justice system (CJS) in comparison to individuals without FASD. During encounters with the CJS, investigative interviews are employed to obtain accurate information from suspects, victims or witnesses of crime. A systematic search using PRISMA guidelines was performed to identify empirical studies published that have explored the questioning of the FASD population within the CJS and the vulnerabilities of FASD-impacted individuals during investigative interviewing.

Increased preterm birth following maternal wildfire smoke exposure in Brazil.

Preterm birth (PTB) complications are the leading cause of death among children under 5 years of age, responsible for approximately 1 million deaths in 2015, according to the World Health Organization. Those infants born prematurely who survived the first 5 years, studies suggest that these infants are more likely to experience a range of poor health outcomes during childhood and even adulthood. Wildfire smoke has been suggested as a type of air pollution source with high toxicity for reproductive health.

Endocrine Disruptors-'Food' for Thought.

Green vegetables, fruits, cereals, and pulses are all rich sources of antioxidants. Retinoic acid, ascorbate, proanthocyanidins, tannins, saponins, melatonin, curcumin, allicin, and alpha-lipoic acid stand documented in plants as bioactive compounds. The international dietary committee advocates a specific quantum of these natural antioxidants through diet.

Chemometric modeling of plant protection products (PPPs) for the prediction of acute contact toxicity against honey bees (A. mellifera): A 2D-QSAR approach.

Honey bees (Apis mellifera) are vital for economic, viable agriculture and for food safety. Although Plant Protection Products (PPPs) are of undeniable importance in the global agricultural system, these have become potential threats for non-target organisms like pollinators (e.g.

What's up with WhatsApp in supplementing surgical education: an objective assessment.

Introduction: This is the first study aimed at objectively quantifying the benefit of virtual education using WhatsApp-based discussion groups.

Methods: A prospective, non-randomised interventional study was undertaken in the Department of General Surgery, at a tertiary care centre in Kolkata, India, with 200 undergraduate students over a period of 5 days each for 2 weeks, with the first week acting as a control arm. A WhatsApp group was created consisting of 197 eligible undergraduates, faculty members and the authors of this study.

The misuse of distributional assumptions in functional class scoring gene-set and pathway analysis.

Gene-set analysis (GSA) is a standard procedure for exploring potential biological functions of a group of genes. The development of its methodology has been an active research topic in recent decades. Many GSA methods, when newly proposed, rely on simulation studies to evaluate their performance with an implicit assumption that the multivariate expression values are normally distributed.

Why are some coronavirus variants more infectious?

Since the start of the pandemic, SARS-CoV-2 has infected almost 200 million human hosts and is set to encounter and gain entry in many more in the coming months. As the coronavirus flourish, the evolutionary pressure selects those variants that can complete the infection cycle faster and reproduce in large numbers compared to others. This increase in infectivity and transmissibility coupled with the immune response from high viral load may cause moderate to severe disease.

Health impacts of wildfire-related air pollution in Brazil: a nationwide study of more than 2 million hospital admissions between 2008 and 2018.

We quantified the impacts of wildfire-related PM on 2 million hospital admissions records due to cardiorespiratory diseases in Brazil between 2008 and 2018. The national analysis shows that wildfire waves are associated with an increase of 23% (95%CI: 12%-33%) in respiratory hospital admissions and an increase of 21% (95%CI: 8%-35%) in circulatory hospital admissions. In the North (where most of the Amazon region is located), we estimate an increase of 38% (95%CI: 30%-47%) in respiratory hospital admissions and 27% (95%CI: 15%-39%) in circulatory hospital admissions.

Late Gadolinium Enhancement Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Assessment of Substrate for Ventricular Tachycardia With Hemodynamic Compromise.

The majority of data regarding tissue substrate for post myocardial infarction (MI) VT has been collected during hemodynamically tolerated VT, which may be distinct from the substrate responsible for VT with hemodynamic compromise (VT-HC). This study aimed to characterize tissue at diastolic locations of VT-HC in a porcine model. Late Gadolinium Enhancement (LGE) cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging was performed in eight pigs with healed antero-septal infarcts.

Mechanical activation of the angiotensin II type 1 receptor contributes to abdominal aortic aneurysm formation.

Objective: The angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1R) can be activated under conditions of mechanical stretch in some cellular systems. Whether this activity influences signaling within the abdominal aorta to promote to abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) development remains unknown. We evaluated the hypothesis that mechanical AT1R activation can occur under conditions of hypertension (HTN) and contribute to AAA formation.

Non-wetting Liquid-Infused Slippery Paper.

Liquid-infused slippery surfaces have replaced structural superhydrophobic surfaces in a plethora of emerging applications, hallmarked by their favorable self-healing and liquid-repelling characteristics. Their ease of fabrication on different types of materials and increasing demand in various industrial applications have triggered research interests targeted toward developing an environmental-friendly, flexible, and frugal substrate as the underlying structural and functional backbone. Although many expensive polymers such as polytetrafluoroethylene have so far been used for their fabrication, these are constrained by their compromised flexibility and non-ecofriendliness due to the use of fluorine.

δPKC-Mediated DRP1 Phosphorylation Impacts Macrophage Mitochondrial Function and Inflammatory Response to Endotoxin.

Background: Recent studies have demonstrated that alterations in mitochondrial dynamics can impact innate immune function. However, the upstream mechanisms that link mitochondrial dynamics to innate immune phenotypes have not been completely elucidated. This study asks if Protein Kinase C, subunit delta (δPKC)-mediated phosphorylation of dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1), a key driver of mitochondrial fission, impacts macrophage pro-inflammatory response following bacterial-derived lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation.

Leadership skills curriculum development for residents and fellows: A needs-assessment.

Background: Non-technical skills (NTS) curricula have demonstrated success in surgical residencies. The purpose of this study is to examine the need for a structured leadership curriculum at our institution.

Methods: A needs-assessment survey analyzing the importance of leadership domains, previously validated by Kazley et al.